Google planning multi-million data centre in Ireland

Dublin down on data

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Creating jobs or avoiding tax?

Google is reportedly looking into investing €150 million ($205 million, £122 million) towards a new data centre in Dublin, Ireland.

According to a report by the Irish Independent, the new centre would increase the total amount invested in Ireland by the California-based search giant to €500 million. Google will begin filing for planning permission soon.

If the centre is given the go ahead it will create around 300 construction jobs during its building and 60 full-time jobs upon completion.

Investment in Ireland

However, not everyone is onboard with Google's plans. The company and other US tech firms have suffered criticism, with opponents alleging that the companies are only using Ireland as a tax base, the country reportedly only having a 2.2 per cent rate for US multinationals.

Google opened a similar data centre in 2013, costing €75 million ($102 million, £129 million), roughly half the size of the one in the works at the moment. The company has also bought up office estate in the Irish capital recently, spending €211 million ($289 million, £364 million) on three buildings, including the Alto Veltro – the tallest in the city.

A Google spokesperson told the Irish Independent that the newspaper is looking to submit a planning application to secure further expansion in the capital while inviting opinion from local residents.